Nearly Completed!

Since last July I've been blogging occasionally (see also here, here and here) about the incessant road construction going on out front-- so much dirt and noise, and with little noticeable progress from day to day. Thankfully, except for finishing the brick sidewalks, planting trees along the side of the road, and putting down the final coat of asphalt, we've neared the end!

Two nights ago, they turned on the new street lights, one of which is just a few feet from my bedroom window (I can now read at night without the interior light on). Traffic is picking up, especially with this now being the preferred route for trucks bypassing the town. And there have even been two vehicles blaring advertisements passing by... first time in months.

Yesterday, I was able to park in my driveway again and wash the filthy car. I also hosed off the 2nd and 3rd floor balconies, both layered with thick coats of dirt. Just in time for Chinese New Years... the neighborhood is celebrating!!!

Here's a condensed 40 second overview of the last 2 months, as seen from my porch and balcony:

Sharing the Christmas Story in Taiwanese Schools II

 This year provided many opportunities for all of us here to share about the meaning of Christmas in the different settings where we volunteer on the western coast of central Taiwan. For me personally, I shared different parts of the Christmas Story over the course of 3 weeks at the Flying Sands Elementary School. We also talked about the cultural aspects of Christmas, and played Christmas Bingo.

For three weeks we've read Christmas stories, played games, and (as of earlier today) talked about New Year's at the English Class that meets in my home on Saturday afternoons.

I was especially happy to welcome team member Lorne to my class at the Mouth-of-the-Lake Middle School, where he shared the Christmas Story with application, taught other vocabulary, and led Christmas charades.

I was also happy to join Lorne and his wife for a celebration in their home in Baojhong last Saturday night. Forty (!) of Lorne's students attended for a good time of games, food, and singing (Lorne had previously shared different parts of the Christmas Story spread over several weeks in the classroom). Coworker Fungyee, gifted in evangelism though soft-spoken, had the opportunity to share Christ at length to a couple mothers who attended.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, I accompanied Pastor Mike of the Beigang Conservative Baptist Church to a small elementary school in a remote village in his home county. Very few of the students had ever met a foreigner before. There I shared the cultural aspects as well as a powerpoint Christmas Story prepared by coworker Penny (including the rest of the story) to the entire student body of 130 split into halves over two hours.  Since we were there not just to celebrate a birthday party, Pastor Mike (who is also related to the principal) shared the Good News even more directly, homing in on the meaning and effect of Christ's birth to all men, with personal application in Chinese. Before the noon meal, I was invited to say a prayer of thanks, with Mike translating.

On a sidenote, the most unique aspect of that last appointment was witnessing an intense emotional outburst by a young, high IQ but low EQ male teacher in the principal's office while we were having tea after lunch. The reason for his being upset had nothing to do with us, and it seemed very strange for us to be there witnessing it. The Chinese have a proverb about airing one's dirty laundry in front of outsiders -- - 家醜不可外揚 jiā chǒu bù kě wài yáng -- so his outburst was all the more unusual. The whole time I sat there wondering why God had arranged for us to be there during that time.

That wasn't the only unexpected event in my Christmas activities calendar. My final event for Christmas -- having the English Club at Four Lakes Elementary School over for an Open House at Don and Rachel's home on Christmas Eve-- had to be canceled that very day due to their son Mark' s acute shunt-related headache forcing him to be hospitalized several days leading up to Christmas. In their prayer letter today, Don and Rachel thanked everyone for praying: "an unexplained shunt blockage, and an unexplained clearly flowing shunt....God gave us our Christmas "miracle. " As of Christmas day,  their son was home and fine, and now they now have a much better plan in place for the future should the need surface again to seek medical treatment in this remote area.

Off for Mandatory Military Service

Tonight my neighbor's 20 year-old son dropped by to say goodbye before he heads off for 3 weeks of basic training as he commences his mandatory military service. For basic training, he'll be in nearby Chiayi County, but he doesn't know where he'll be stationed after that.

I asked a blessing for God's protection and the peace of Jesus for Sakray.

Sakray feels lucky because he only has to serve for one year. When I first came on-island 11 years ago, the term was for 2 or 2 1/2 years and before that it was longer. When Sakray's brother Ben, an elementary school student, reaches age 20, Taiwan will probably have already done away with its mandatory service obligation.

Hiking with Formosa Plastics on Mount DaDong

  Last Saturday I joined my neighbor Wu Hai Qin to hike again with some of his coworkers from Formosa Plastics. This time we went to Mount Dadong, elevation 1975 meters, very close to Ali Mountain, and almost just as high an elevation (so I don't feel like I need to go to Ali Mountain quite so much now).

The weather was much cooler than my last hike last spring, and we hiked a little farther (though still only 9 km). With a some kids along this time, and some of the men who usually hike tougher trails absent or out of shape, I hiked faster than most of the folks this time around. But one guy was really "li4hai4": he carried his baby the whole way on his back both up and down the  mountain and finished in front of most of us!

Light in the Gloomy Darkness

 Yesterday afternoon after completing prep-work for this month's English classes in Western Yunlin, Taiwan, I emerged from hiding to discover that what has passed for a road (mostly dirt) in front of my house the last few months is even  less passable than before.

 

 

They've removed 3 feet of dirt, not leveling what remains, so that now it is impossible even to drive my scooter  back to my house at night, not to mention a car. To say the least, things look rather bleak outside, especially at night, since even the  street lights have been out of commission in recent weeks.

To brighten up the gloomy-looking neighborhood, I've decorated the small tree in front of my house, put up a string of Christmas lights on my second floor, and have another small tree inside. Although they're not much, may God use the colored lights to impart a sense of the hope we are reminded of in Christ every year this time of year:

 "But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish....The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." Isaiah 9